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Synonyms
disagreeable
irascible
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Cantankerous
[
kan-
tang
-ker-
uh
s
]
Example Sentences
Origin
can·tan·ker·ous
/
kænˈtæŋ
kər
əs
/
Show Spelled
[
kan-
tang
-ker-
uh
s
]
Show IPA
adjective
disagreeable to deal with; contentious; peevish:
a cantankerous, argumentative man.
Origin:
1765–75;
perhaps variant of earlier
*contenkerous,
reflecting
contentious
,
rancorous
Related forms
can·tan·ker·ous·ly,
adverb
can·tan·ker·ous·ness,
noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Cantankerous
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Cantankerous
is always a great word to know.
So is
slumgullion
. Does it mean:
So is
callithumpian
. Does it mean:
So is
ort
. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Example Sentences
He could be cantankerous and rude, yet hated to be embarrassed.
Wayne Morse is as good a definition of the word "maverick" as can be found, cantankerous, erratic but stoutly independent too.
The stuporous came alive, the cantankerous calmed down.
EXPAND
Adjective
He could be cantankerous and rude, yet hated to be embarrassed.
She's 25, an aspiring singer and as open-hearted and accepting as Roger is cantankerous and edgy.
Think the worst seatmate you could have on a cross-country flight is an irrational, cantankerous drunk? Think again.
Bach, in spite of his cantankerous pride, wrote priceless music.
Then he gave signs of degenerating into a pesky, cantankerous old fluff with a disposition as vile as that of a wolverine.
The oboe can be a cantankerous, fiery instrument or one that sings with a graceful lilt.
Last week, a cantankerous witness scowled at the judge's perpetual bemused smile.
Katharine, just beginning to slip into Alzheimer's disease, is as unremittingly good-natured as her husband is cantankerous.
Noun
Wayne Morse is as good a definition of the word "maverick" as can be found, cantankerous, erratic but stoutly independent too.
Other Examples
The stuporous came alive, the cantankerous calmed down.
I'd like to think that the cantankerous Twain would welcome the company.
COLLAPSE
Collins
World English Dictionary
cantankerous
(kænˈtæŋkərəs)
—
adj
quarrelsome; irascible
[C18: perhaps from C14 (obsolete)
conteckour
a contentious person, from
conteck
strife, from Anglo-French
contek,
of obscure origin]
can'tankerously
—
adv
can'tankerousness
—
n
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
cantankerous
1772, said to be "a Wiltshire word," probably an alteration (infl. by raucous) of M.E. contakour "troublemaker" (c.1300), from Anglo-Fr. contec "discord," from O.Fr. contechier, from con- "with" + teche, related to atachier "hold fast" (see
attach
).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
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Matching Quote
"I don't think that the flesh is necessarily treacherous, evil, bad. It is cantankerous, and it is independent. The idea of independence is the key. It really is like colonialism. The colonies suddenly decide that they can and should exist with their own personality and should detach from the control of the mothercountry. At first the colony is perceived as being treacherous. It's a betrayal. Ultimately, it can be seen as the separation of a partner that could be very valuable as an equal rather than as something you dominate."
-David Cronenberg
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